Fire alarm system



Oct. 10, 1933. E. R. swETT. JR

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM Filed Aug. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l fr) :EQ/m mmm .Mg 219,

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Oct. 10, 1933. E R. SWE-r1, JR 1,929,759

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM Filed Aug. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented er. 10, 1933 l 1,929,759y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE ALARM SYSTEBI Edward R. Swett, Jr., Muskegon, Mich. Application August 25, 1930.` Serial No. 477,740

1 Claim. (Cl. 35-6) This invention relates to improvements in fire of which zones there are a number of re boxes alarm systems. Y located, and each block in the zone is numbered,- One of the objects of the present invention is indicating the number of the rebox or block. the provision of a fire alarm system which will This is clearly illustrated in Figure 2 wherein the 5 speed up the alarm system so that the alarm and large numeral 11 indicates the number of the the location of the iire can be more quickly con'- Zone, Said Zone being bounded by Myrtle, Wood veyed to the engine companies, truck companies and Apple Streets, the zone in the present inand hook-and-ladder companies, which are to restance being substantially triangular as illus'y spond to each individual fire, thus saving considtrated. However, these zones may be laid out in erable time in the answering of'a rire alarm. various shapes according to the number of blocks 65 Another object of the present invention is the in each zone. provision of a fire alarm system which is par- As shown inFigure 1', on the large board as Well 3 ticularly adapted for alarms which are given over as by the Small diagram in VFigure 2, each Street the telephone to a central operator, and wherein may have one or more indicating lights 3, and the four digit system is used for conveyingv the as this map is placed uPOn e beard, the board is 70 correct 1ocation'of the nre to the diierent engine` provided With openings and the lights are posicompanies, truck companies, etc., which are to tioned behind the openings so that the illumina- I answer each nre, S0 that each Company will note: tion from each light will be disclosed through the when they are to respond to an alarm and will Openingsalso note the exact location of the re. This board on which the map is located is pref- 75 A further object of the present invention is the erebly rranged Within a Cabinet indicated at 4 provision of a fire alarm systemwhich includes and supported upOn Suitable legs 5- Hinged t0 the Zoning 0f a city or town int() different Zones, One Side Of the Cabinet 4 iS a Switchboard 6 and numbering each zone and providing a map dis-V arranged in Vertical rows on the switchboard are Closing the numbering of the City which Wi11 bev the names of diierent streets in the city as well 80 v located at the fire headquarters where the operaes the lnaines 0f differentpublie buildings, large tor'takes all calls for hres so that the operator factories and similar places Where a single numcan readily ascertain the location of the re and ber Will be used t0 designate vthe-Mention Of'the then transmit the location to the proper engine fire in that Vicinity. Each name On the switch- Companies, em, over the usual nre alarm transboard is accompanied by a switch 7 which is con- 85g mitten nected up with the proper light on the map 1, so With the above and other objects in view, the that when this switch is pressed, the street, the invention consists in the novel features of con-` neme 0f WhiCh appears neXt t0 the sWiteh, Will be struction, the combination and arrangement of lighted up 0n the nien ThereOre, if a fire alarm vparte hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed is telephoned in t0 the headquarters Operator, 993.

out in the Claim and shown in the accompanying the operator will ascertain the location of the fire drawings wherein: and then illuminate'the street on which the re Figure 1 is an elevation 0f the board and map is located and the nearestl intersecting street which are used in the central alarm headquarters WhiCh Will readily diselOse t0 the Operator the 40 with the switchboard therefor supported in close nearest block number in the zone and he will 95.T1

proximity to the map; transmit this information to the diierent engine Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front hOuSeS, eteelevation of the board and map, showing in detail In ConneGtOn With the inap and SWtehbOerd, one of the zones on the map; a card index is provided at all engine houses with Figure 3 is a, front elevation 0f one 0f the cards a. plurality Of Cards Similar 't0 'the 011e illustrated used in the system which are retained in card in Figure 3, end eeeh Card Will be DrOVded With iiles located at the various fire stations, as well as a teh 3 et the upper left-hand Corner 0n Which in the onicers quarters and the central alarm the number 0f the Gerd is printed, es ShOWn at headquarters of the hre department, 9, and furthermore in large iigures on the body In a re alarm system of the above character, of the card, as shown at 10, the location of the 105 it is necessary to provide a map of the city or town alarm 0r bOX is printed, While direetly beneath in which the system is located and in the present the large numbers l0, the intersection 0f the tWO instance, the map in general is indicated at 1 and streets at this point is also indicated as shown on this map, the city is divided into zones which at 11. The balance of the card is divided in are indicated by the large numerals 2 and in each three sections 12, 13, and 14; the section 12 having different engine companies indicated thereon which are to respond to the alarm for this par.

ticular location, and in section 13 the numbers of the trucks which are to respond to this alarm are given, and in section 14 as indicated thereon, the number of the squad to respond.

As shown in Figure 3, on this particular card, engine companies 3, 2, 1, 4 and 5, respond to the alarm, whi-l'ezon the second alarm there is a transfer of engine companies 5 and 1, while on the third alarm there is a transfer of engine companies 6 and 1.

As stated heretofore, this system is particularly designed where the alarm of iire is telephoned to the headquarters operator of the re department, and as an operator is always stationed at this particular point, the location of the fire is ascertained by the operator, and when as in the present instance, the nre is located at Wood and Apple Streets, as given by the informant, the operator wilt press. the switch on board 6 adja cent the word Wood, lighting up; Wood Street on the map 1,. and' will then press the switch adjacent the word Apple on the board. 6.,. lighting up Apple Street: on the man and as soon as these two streets are lighted, the operator will ascertain that the nearest call box to Wood and Apple- Streets is 15'` and that the number of the zone in which this call box located is number 11.,

As. the. system is. so designed that it neces` sary that four digits be transmitted through the medium of a. single gong` to each engine house, truck'. house and hook-and-ladder company, the

rst two digits. sounded inthe present instance are 1'1, immediately the zoneA in which the: re is located.. Therefore, all engine companies, truck companies', hook-and-ladder companics, who respond to this' particular zone wili immediately prepare to leave, and as soon as the:

other two. digits 1 5. are sounded, it will give the exact location of the. nre, and one o the firemen will rotery to the card index, locating card lil- 15, quickly disclosing the fact that the re is located at the corner of Apple. and Wood Streets.

siderably and the errors which sometimes occur in the taking of a re location over a telephone from the operator to the fire company, is reduced to a minimum as the location is not given orally, but automatically by digit system. The system is used in connection with a well known type of fire alarm transmitter, whereby the central operator conveys the correct location to the proper companies which are to respond to any re. One advantage of this system is the fact that any nre company in the city will know in a very few seconds after the gong starts to ring whether the lire is in its district by noting the first two digits of the alarm. Therefore, if the rst two digits signies the fact that the fire is in a certain Zone, the companies which are responsible for iires in that Zone will immediately prepare to leave upon ascertaining the correct location of the re.

Another particular feature of this invention is the zoning of the city and the allotting of the different zones to the different rire companies, whereby it will assure of a proper number of companies. responding. to any one alarm in any one of the zones and the second and third alarm will also: call out the proper number of companies in accordance with the zone in which the fire is located.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention,` i-t will be apparent that slight changes may be made in the' construction when putting the invention into practice withoutv departing from the spirit ofV the same or the scope. of the appended claim.

I claim:

A map; for use in connection with. a re alarm system and adapted to. be located in a central station, lines dividing the map intoV major zones, a different indicating number of two digits each disposed on eac-h zone, lines indicating streets. in each zone dividing they Zone into blocks, a. different indicating number of two digits each disposed in each. block, an electric,v light. positioned in eachstreet for illuminating the same, and means for selectively closing the circuits through the lights whereby to locate` a major zone and. a particular block..

EDWARD R SWETT, JR. 

